Automatic grocery cart



i 1969 A. A. LAcHA-Nc ETAL 3,454,139-

AUTOMATIC GROCERY CART ori inal-Filed Aug; 11, 1965 Sheet I 6%? flrma mZAZ lac/um c'e y 3, .1969 A. A. LACHANCE ETAL 3,454,139

' AUTOMATIC GROCERY CART 7 Original Filed Aug. 11, 1965 Sheet of s"1.1-1 g II II II I III! lllllfllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllillll lllllllfl Sheet 4 of 5 July 8, 1969 A. A. LACHANCE E A AUTOMATICGROCERY CART Original Filed Aug. 11, 1965 M I l l l l l l l l l I l I l-U I l I I I I l II w w .July 8,1969 A. A. LAcHANcE r AL 3, 4,1 9

AUTOMATIC GROCERY CART J as Original Filed Aug. 11', 1965 heet UnitedStates Patent US. Cl. 1861 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pair ofbelt conveyors for passing articles one to the other, one conveyorhaving several rows of spaced article pushing elements, and a platebridging the gap between the adjacent ends of the conveyors, said platehaving spaced fingers receiving the elements between them.

This application is a division of application Ser. No. 478,860 filedAug. 11, 1965, now abandoned and relates to nesting carts ordinarilyused in retail stores and other places. Such carts in general are wellknown in the art and can be nested so as to achieve a storage thereof ina relatively small space but are easily detached to be pushed about thestore as for instance in a supermarket by the shopper. After the shopperhas selected the goods needed, he wheels the cart to a checkout standwhere the goods are taken out of the cart and placed on the counter forthe inspection of the cashier who rings up the sale.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of apractical operative automatic dumping grocery cart which has a basket inwhich a conveyor forms a major portion of the bottom thereof and onwhich the goods normally rest when placed there by the customer,together with a front gate, in combination with another conveyor at thecheckout stand under the control of the cashier, whereby when the cartis properly positioned at the checkout stand, the front gate of thebasket is opened and the goods are propelled out of the cart onto thecheckout conveyor where they pass under the eye of the cashier forautomatic delivery of said articles from the cart to the checkoutcashier.

Other objects of the invention include the provision of certainmechanical devices which ensure that the cart is in a proper locationrelative to the checkout stand; means for properly latching the cart inimmovable relationship with respect thereto; the provision of automaticmeans for opening the gate at the forward portion of the carriage, saidmeans being under the control of the cashier; and simple and effectivesafety devices ensuring proper alignment of the cart and the stand andlatching of the various parts to prevent accidental closing of the gateor removal of the cart from its operative position with respect to thestand when the conveyor in the bottom thereof is energized.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a cart asabove described in which the carts, when not in position to delivergoods to the checkout counter, are quickly and easily nestable just asare ordinary carts of the prior art which do not have automaticmerchandise delivery mechanism therein.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating a cart approaching theposition of merchandise discharge with respect to a checkout stand;

FIG. 2 shows the cart in the operative position;

3,454,139 Patented July 8, 1969 "ice FIG. 3 is a section on line 3-3 ofFIG. 2 illustrating guide means for positioning the cart with respect tothe checkout stand;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the means for latching the cart in theoperative position thereof;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view illustrating the transfer apron from oneconveyor to another;

' FIG. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of FIG. 5

FIG. 7 is a section on line 77 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the cart latching mechanism;

FIG. 9 is a view in side elevation thereof;

FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the forward portion of the part showing themovable front gate;

FIG. 12 is a front view thereof illustrating the lifting action of thegate;

FIG. 13 is a plan view on an enlarged scale showing the gate raisingmechanism;

FIG. 14 is a section on line 14-14 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a detail view of a latch for the gate;

FIG. 16 is a sectional view on line 1616 of FIG. 13;=and

FIGS. 17 and 18 are detail views partly in section illustratingmodifications of the belt construction at the platform.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the cart is generally indicated by thereference numeral 10. This cart in many respects is more or lessconventional. It is provided with a generally horizontal running frameat 12 which is mounted on wheels 14. Frame 12 is sometimes used tosupport large bundles. On the frame 12 there are uprights mounting abasket usually of wire indicated at '16. This basket is ordinarilyprovided with some kind of pusher handle 18 and a swinging rear gate bywhich means it is nested with other similar carts, it being noted thatthe frame 12 and basket 16 taper and the cards are nestable.

In the present case the basket is provided with side guard plates 22which are relatively elongated and narrow being fastened to the lowerportion of the basket in any desired way. These guard plates 22 embraceand guard an endless conveyor 24 which is trained over pulleys or thelike 26 at each end of the basket. This conveyor forms the bottom of thebasket and the goods selected by the shopper are piled on this belt asis indicated in FIG. 1.

The checkout stand is generally indicated by the reference numeral 28.It embodies relatively high walls 30, 30. In FIG. 1 only one of thesewalls is shown as the wall adjacent the observer has been removed inorder to show the apparatus, but both walls are shown in FIG. 5, and thewall not shown in FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 7. These walls form side wallenclosures for a pair of end-to-end endless belts 32, 34.

Belt 32 is located on an incline as shown in FIG. 1. It is provided withcleats 36 and it receives the goods from the cart elevating them to theposition of the conveyor 34 Where the cashier conveniently stands infront of the cash register. The cleats 36 are conveniently made ofplastic and are serrated or notched as shown at 37 in FIG. 7, and beingrelatively low do not interfere with the goods but on the other handcause them to continue to be elevated even though the goods may be inthe form of cylindrical cans or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the cleats 36 might assume dividedfinger-like members 36a on belt 32a which is-the equivalent of belt 32,and the same may have raised edges. Also as in FIG. 18, the belt 32b mayhave projections 36b thereon for traveling goods, this belt having aconcave configuration guided by dished rollers 32c.

A motor as at 40 is utilized to drive the conveyor 34 under the controlof an on-and-otf switch 42 under direct 3 control of the cashier. Asshown in FIG. 1, the switch 42 and another pair of switches with it arebehind Wall 30 out of sight of the customer and controllable only by thecashier.

A motor indicated at 44, see FIG. 4, operates the other conveyor 32 anda speed reducer at 46 is utilized for this purpose. This motor 44 iscontrolled by the switch 48 located with switch 42 so that the operatorcontrols both conveyors.

A belt at 50 is utilized to rotate a wheel or gear 52 and is meshed withanother gear or wheel 54 which drives a rubber covered roller 56. Theroller 56 is located on an axis transverse of the apparatus heredescribed and is also transversely arranged with respect to the cartWhen the cart is in the position shown. It will be seen in FIG. 4 thatwhen this rubber covered roller 56 is in contact with the lower run ofthe belt 24 in the cart it will cause the same to be driven in thedirection of the arrows in FIG. 4 to carry the goods in the cart off ofthe conveyor 24 onto conveyor 32. Belt 24 has cleats 25 placed atintervals to assist goods to move. This operation is of course undercomplete control of the cashier who does not start the operation untilassured that the cart is in the correct position and latched as will bedescribed and that the front gate of the cart is in open position alsoas will be described.

A transfer apron of spring steel is indicated at 58, see particularlyFIG. 6, and is provided with rearwardly projecting fingers at 60 whichfacilitate the transfer of the goods from the conveyor 32 to theconveyor 34. The plate 58 is conveniently adjustably mounted on a pairof side brackets 62 having a vertical slot in each as at 64 and held inposition by common screws or bolts. This plate 58 is also provided toprevent injury.

As shown in FIG. 3 the carriage wheels are guided into position by meansof V-shaped guide means 70. The guides 70 are provided with open angularends as at 72 so that if the customer is even approximately correct inhis alignment of the cart with the apparatus between the ends of thewalls as at 74, the guides 70 automatically cause the wheels to belocated in correct position.

The grocery cart of the prior art is provided with a transverse bar 76at the forward end of the running frame here indicated at 12, and thisbar or equivalent is utilized herein to be latched in the operativeposition so that the cart cannot be backed off by the customer duringthe loading operation or until allowed by the cashier. There areprovided a pair of hook-like members generally indicated at 78, 78 whichinclude a relatively short top finger 80 and a relatively long curvedbottom finger 82 providing a bight 84 between them. These members arepivoted on a rod 86 between the solid line position of FIG. 9 and thedotted line position thereof, and this action is simply caused by thecustomer pushing the cart into the position so that the cross bar 76bears on the curved top edges 88 of fingers 82 pushing them down andtoward the dotted line position so that the fingers 80 come down in backof the bar 76, locking it in position.

The hook members 78 are rigidly connected together by a bar 90 which isoffset with relation to the axis of the rod 86 and to the bar 90 thereis secured a link 92 in turn connected to the core of a solenoid 94 ofgenerally conventional design. When this solenoid is actuated it movesto the right in FIG. 9 and causes the hook members 78 to pivot in aclockwise direction. The transverse bar 76 of the running gear 12 of thecarriage is not only released, since the hooks move from the dotted lineposition to the solid line released position, but also the curved edges88 of the lower fingers 82 cause the carriage to be moved backwardly outof the range of the latch, so that it is clear and then easily moved toa position where the various carts can be nested in a row as isconventional.

However in order to provide for holding the hook members 78 in thedotted line latching condition of FIG. 9, there is provided a boltgenerally indicated at 96. This bolt is rectilinearly movable in ahousing 98 and is spring pressed toward the members 78 by a spring 100.This bolt is movable in the other direction by a solenoid 102 and thesolenoids 94 and 102 are both controlled by means of switch 104 in thesame panel with switches 42 and 48, see FIG. 1. This action is not quitesimultaneous as solenoid 102 operates to unlatch the hook 78 before thesame can be moved as described above and this is accomplished by meansof a normally open switch at 106 in FIG. 8 which is controlled by apivot finger 108. The pivot switch finger 108 has a connection with thebar 110 which connects bolt 96 with the core of solenoid 102, and whenthis is retracted, i.e., moves upwardly in FIG. 2, the switch 106 isclosed, thus energizing solenoid 94.

Referring now to FIGS. 11 to 15 inclusive there is shown the manner inwhich the front gate of the carriage is opened. The gate construction isperhaps best seen in FIGS. 11, 12 and 15. At the front portion of thecarriage between the forward end portions of guard plates 22 and theforward end of the wire basket 16, there are provided two open, spacedrectangular frames 112 and 114. The rectangular frame 114 is directlybehind frame 112 as seen in FIG. 12, and the two frames are welded orotherwise secured to the forward portions of the wires forming the sidesof wire basket 16. These basket sides are fixed.

The gate is indicated at 116 and this is a rectangular wire memberincluding a series of upright Wires as shown in FIG. 12 to maintain themerchandise in the cart except when the gate is raised as indicated indotted lines in FIGS. 1, 2 and 12.

At the lower portion of thegate 116 there is provided a flattened,horizontal loop of wire generally indicated at 118. Essentially thisloop has an upper forwardly offset portion 120 which is fixed inrelation to the upright wire members of the gate 116 and this is shownin FIGS. 1, 2, l1 and 12.

At either side of conveyor 34 at the forward end thereof there isprovided an upright post 122. These posts are in the form of facingchannels or the like and have bearing blocks -124 slidably mountedtherein. On these blocks are mounted the ends 126 of a cross wire memberhaving an offset jog 128, see FIG. 13, and preferably there are provideda pair of these members as is shown in FIG. 16 in vertically spacedrelation, these being connected together as by stop means 130. In thelowermost position of the cross wire member 126 and 128, it is stoppedon spaced plates 132, 132 as shown in FIG. 16, the belt 34 extendingbetween these two stop plates. Other connection means such as shown at134, 134 may also be used to maintain the wires 126 and 128 in spacedrelationship as shown in FIG. 16.

Each sliding block 124 is connected by means of a cable or the like 136to pass over a winding drum or the like 138. When these drums arerotated in a clockwise direction, see FIG. 1, they wind the cables 136,which are trained over pulleys 140 at the top of the posts 122, thisaction raising the wire member 126, 128. The projection 120 of the wiremember 118 on the gate 116 is located between these members as shown inFIG. 2, thus the gate must rise as shown in dotted lines in FIGS. 1 and2.

The gate however must be held in this elevated position while thetransfer of articles is taking place from the carriage to the conveyor34 and this is accomplished by a bolt 141 which is somewhat similar tothat shown in FIG. 8. It has a rectilinear motion in a case .142 and isnormally projected outwardly by a spring 144 to the position shown inFIG. 15, but it is retractable by means of a solenoid 146. When thishappens, a stop plate 148 strikes the actuator 150 of a normally closedswitch 152 to interdict the action of a magnetic clutch 154.

The motor at 44 drives one element of magnetic clutch 154 but only whenthe magnetic clutch is electrically energized. The other element of themagnetic clutch rotates a shaft 158 on which is a wheel 160. Wheel 160has a single tooth 162.

When the magnetic clutch is energized by the cashier utilizing a footswitch 156, see FIG. 1, the front gate of the basket rises as abovedescribed and at the same time the clutch is ene rgized and the shaft158 rotates wheel 160 approximately from the solid line position of thetooth 162 in FIG; 14 to the dotted line position thereof. In thisposition it pushes past the bolt 141 which snaps behind it holdingagainst reverse motion. At this point the gate of the basket of the cartis in its raised position and is thus held by thebolt until the bolt isretracted by operation of the solenoid. When this happens the stop 148actuates the switch 152 to open it and this de-energizes the magneticclutch which allows the wheel 160 to reverse and the gate: then descendsby gravity to the stopped position thereof as shown in FIG. 16.

Operation the transfer of the merchandise to the belt 34. The cart islocked by bolt'96 until such time as the solenoid 94 is actuated toretract it. The cashier steps on the switch 156 raising the gate of thecarriage as above described by means of the cables 136, and bolt 141then latches the gate in its uppermost position. At this point theoperator then :actuates the respective conveyor switch for conveyor 34and roll 56 sothat the cart conveyor at 24 starts to transfer thearticles onto the cleated belt 34 which raises them and transfers themover the apron at 58 to the belt at 34. It is preferable to control thebelts 32 and 34 independently so that even though some of the articlesmay be rising on belt 32 but have not reached belt 34, the cashier canbe checking out articles on belt 34. Conversely the'cashier can run thearticles on belt 34 along to the downwardly extending chute 164 wherethey can be wrapped or boxed and at the same time belt 32 can be stoppedif it is overloaded.

As soon as the goods have all been checked out, the operator unhooks thebasket and allows the gate of the cart to drop by actuation of switch104 releasing bolt 140 as well as bolt 96. When bolt 96 starts toretract, so also does the bolt 141 releasing the gate which falls, andas soon as the bolt 96 is fully retracted and thegate has fallen,solenoid 94 is actuated to push the cart out of the unloading position.

Having thus described our invention and the advantages thereof, we donot Wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise thanas set forth in the claims, but what we'claim is:

1. A checkout counter construction in combination with a separate mobilegrocery cart wherein said checkout counter construction comprises aframe, a pair of conveyors'thereon', one of said conveyors beingpositioned to receive articles from the grocery cart and the otherconveyor being positioned to receive articles from the firstname dconveyor,

rollers over which the conveyors are trained leaving a .gap between theconveyors, and a plate extending over and substantially covering saidgap, a series of mutually spaced free-ended fingers along an edge of theplate, said fingers extending generally in the direction of motion ofthe conveyors, and

flexible spaced elements on the first conveyor, said elements beingtransversely aligned in a plurality of spaced rows, said elementsassisting motion of articles on said first conveyor and passing throughthe spaces between the fingers of the plate in the operation of the twoconveyors.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,400,667 5/ 1946 Toews 198-1992,635,735 4/1953 Smith 198-199 3,036,722 5/ 1962 Sharaway 186-13,115,975 12/1963 Thompson 186-1 3,144,117 8/1964 Fabula 198-163,262,519 7/1966 Cohen 186-1 3,315,777 4/ 1967 Margles 198-16 EVON C.BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

HARVEY C. HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 198-199

